Boudreau Engineering personnel have participated in perhaps the most revolutionary phase in the history of pavement engineering, the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program. A congressional bill was passed in the 1980's aptly named ISTEA (Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act), which launched the most comprehensive study to-date. The primary objective of the initial five-year phase was to develop innovative ideas to characterize pavement materials and structures, and apply these concepts to actual pavements located throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. (locate an appropriate URL for history reading - A). The LTPP study (optional successive 5-year extensions required to validate performance models over a 20-year period) has resulted in many new changes in the way our industry approaches pavement design. Several new products have evolved; including SuperPave asphalt concrete mix designs, alkali-silica reactivity screening, innovative patching materials, and many others.

The much anticipated deliverable of a new pavement structures design guideline (2002 Guide, NCHRP Project 1-37A locate an appropriate URL for reading - B) will enable engineers to prepare recommendations for thickness design and material selection based upon performance models and mechanistic [determination of stress/strain responses in the pavement system] information. We anticipate these procedures will successfully replace empirically derived solutions based on limited and outdated information from 1950's research.

A key element in the anticipated new design guide is the characterization of pavement materials used as layers in a pavement system, most notably, resilient modulus. The depth of knowledge and direct experience of Boudreau Engineering's staff has enabled the Company to apply these theories in real design and implementation. As such, these experiences are currently in various phases of publication, and the transfer of technology is critical.

Boudreau Engineering has developed training and development agendas to address these revolutionary changes in pavement structure design and material characterization.